In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London

The Nine Herbs Charm

May 15, 2018

by the gentle author

In celebration of the opening of the Wild City exhibition at Townhouse this week, we publish the text of the Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm to cure infection, of which many ingredients are to found at the last bombsite in the City of London in Aldgate. The charm is recorded in the tenth century Lacnunga (remedies) manuscript in British Museum and is published here accompanied by the translation by Þórbeorht Línléah and illustrated with plates from old herbals.

Remember thou, Mugwort, what thou declared
What thou advised at the proclamation of the gods (Regen, “council of the gods,” and meld, “proclamation”) “Una” (First) thou were named, the eldest of worts (herbs)
Thou hast might against three and against thirty,
thou hast might against venom and against that which flies.
thou hast might against the loathsome that yond the land fareth.

And thou, Waybread (Plantain), mother of worts
open to the east, mighty within;
over thee carts creaked, over thee queens (women) rode,
over thee brides cried out, over thee bulls snorted.
All of them thou withstood and dashed against;
so may thou withstand venom and that which flies
and the loathsome that yond the land fareth.

Stune (Watercress) is named this wort, she on stone waxes;
stands she against venom, stuneth (dasheth) she against pain.
“Stiff” she is named, withstandeth she venom, wreaked (driveth out) she the wrathful, warpeth (casteth) out venom.

This is the wort that with wyrm (serpent) fought,
she that prevails against venom, she that prevails against that which flies,
she prevails against the loathsome that yond the land fareth.
Put thou now to flight, Adder-loather (Betony, the lesser [and] the more
the more [and] the lesser, until he, of both, is cured.

Remember thou, Mayweed (Chamomile), what thou declared,
What thou earned at Alder-fjord;
that never for that which flies life would be sold (given, lost)
since for him mayweed, as meat (food), was readied.

These nine have main (power) against nine venoms.
Wyrm came sneaking. It slit a man
Then took up Wóden nine glory-tines (tines of Wuldor),
slew with them the adder that she into nine flew.
There earned Apple and venom
that she never would bend-way (slither) into house.

Chervil and Fennel, most mighty two,
those worts were shaped by the witty Drighten,
holy in the heavens, where he hung;
set and sent [them] into seven worlds
for the wretched and the wealthy for all a cure.
Stands she against pain, stuneth (dasheth) she against venom,
that prevails against three and against thirty,
against the fiend’s hand and against far-braiding (shape-shifting?),
against maskering (bewitching) by evil wights.

Now prevail these nine worts (herbs) against the nine wonder-flying-ones,
against nine venoms, and against nine which fly,
against the red venom, against the foul smelling venom,
against the white venom, against the blue-gray venom,
against the yellow venom, against the green venom,
against the wan (dark) venom, against the woad (blue) venom,
against the brown venom, against the crimson venom,
against the wyrm-blister, against the water-blister,
against the thorn-blister, against the thistle-blister,
against the ice-blister (frostbite), against the venom blister,
if any venom comes flying from the east,
or any other from the north, any [from the south] come
or any other from the west over the tribes of men.

Mugwort, Waybread (plantain) that is open to the east, lambcress (stune), adder-loather (betony), mayweed, nettle (weregulu), apple, chervil and fennel, and old soap: work the worts to dust, mix with the soap and with the apple’s gore. Work up a slop of water and of ashes, take the fennel, well it up (boil it) in the slop and bathe it with an egg-mixture, when he dons the salve, either ere or after. Sing that galdor (incantation) o’er each of those worts thrice ere you work them and on the apple also; and sing it into the man’s mouth and in both ears and on the wound likewise galdor, ere he dons the salve.

Wild City is at Townhouse, 7 Fournier St, E1 6QE, from Thursday 17th May until Sunday 17th June

I grow lots of different herbs for all kinds of uses cooking, medicinal etc. some just because the herbs look nice and they make good models for my watercolour paintings. Odd that yesterday I had just found your ‘Last Bomsite in the City of London, Algate, with the intentions of reading that today. Beautiful piece thank you.

I am an (amateur) herbalist, I use almost all of the 9 in teas and salves, powerful little plants! I loved this, and the poetry, the plants provide a deep connection to the Earth and the past.
thank you!

In the past year, I came upon the new-to-me term, “still room book” and was captivated. (Let’s face it, any phrase with “book” pulls me right in…….) I was fascinated by the back story of these
unique books, created over time, and always “kept” with the house. (from grand houses to
cottages) Salves, medicinal potions, recipes, etc — All were recorded for posterity in these
books. As I read through the words above, I could imagine them being inscribed in a still room
book, perhaps accompanied by milady’s water color drawings of the herb cuttings.

Your postings always take me back, and back, and back. Thanks for the journey.

Wow! They were keen on fighting venom. Excellent illustrations and rendering of Old English. I could recognise ‘heaven’ and ‘this’, which began with the old rune for thorn. I love how the verb ‘is’ has survived intact from Anglo-Saxon till now.

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Unauthorized use or duplication of these words and pictures without written permission is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Spitalfields Life with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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